Intraocular pressure sensing element and intraocular pressure sensing method

Abstract

An intraocular pressure sensing element and an intraocular pressure sensing method are provided. The intraocular pressure sensing element includes a lens, an annular strain gauge, regional strain gauges, and a sensing processing circuit. The lens has a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region. The annular strain gauge is disposed in the peripheral region and surrounds the central region. The regional strain gauges are arranged at predetermined positions in the peripheral region, respectively. In response to the intraocular pressure sensing element being worn on a subject eyeball, the sensing processing circuit measures the subject eyeball through the annular strain gauge to obtain first stress data, measures the subject eyeball through the regional strain gauges to obtain second stress data corresponding to the plurality of predetermined positions, respectively, and generates intraocular pressure distribution information according to the first stress data and the second stress data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intraocular pressure sensing element, comprising:
 a lens having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region;   an annular strain gauge disposed in the peripheral region and surrounding the central region;   a plurality of regional strain gauges arranged at a plurality of predetermined positions in the peripheral region, respectively; and   a sensing processing circuit electrically connected to the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges,   wherein, in response to the intraocular pressure sensing element being worn on a subject eyeball, the sensing processing circuit is configured to measure the subject eyeball through the annular strain gauge to obtain first stress data, to measure the subject eyeball through the plurality of regional strain gauges to obtain a plurality of records of second stress data corresponding to the plurality of predetermined positions, respectively, and to generate intraocular pressure distribution information according to the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data.   
     
     
         2 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 1 , wherein the central region is circular, the peripheral region is annular, the plurality of regional strain gauges are arranged in an annular array in the peripheral region, and a quantity of the plurality of regional strain gauges is greater than or equal to 2. 
     
     
         3 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of regional strain gauges are equidistantly arranged around a center of the lens and outside the annular strain gauge. 
     
     
         4 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of regional strain gauges has a first strain coefficient, the annular strain gauge has a second strain coefficient, and the first strain coefficient is greater than the second strain coefficient. 
     
     
         5 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 4 , wherein the annular strain gauge includes an annular detection component, and each of the plurality of regional strain gauges includes a regional detection component, the annular detection component is made of an alloy material, and the regional detection component is made of a semiconductor material. 
     
     
         6 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 1 , wherein the annular strain gauge is a flexible capacitive pressure sensor, including:
 a lower electrode layer;   a flexible dielectric layer disposed on the lower electrode layer; and   an upper electrode layer disposed on the flexible dielectric layer.   
     
     
         7 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 6 , wherein the peripheral region is annular, and the flexible dielectric layer includes a plurality of elastic columns spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the peripheral region. 
     
     
         8 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 7 , wherein the lower electrode layer includes:
 a first transparent conductive layer; and   a second transparent conductive layer disposed on the first transparent conductive layer;   wherein the upper electrode layer includes:
 a third transparent conductive layer; and 
 a fourth transparent conductive layer disposed on the third transparent conductive layer. 
   
     
     
         9 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 8 , wherein the second transparent conductive layer and the third transparent conductive layer include zinc oxide, the first transparent conductive layer and the fourth transparent conductive layer include indium tin oxide, and the elastic columns each include polydimethylsiloxane polymer (PDMS). 
     
     
         10 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 6 , wherein the first stress data includes an absolute pressure value, the plurality of records of the second stress data include a plurality of relative pressure difference values, and the sensing processing circuit is further configured to generate the intraocular pressure distribution information according to the absolute pressure value and the relative pressure difference values. 
     
     
         11 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 1 , further comprising an antenna component electrically connected to the sensing processing circuit, wherein the antenna component is disposed in the peripheral region for data transmission with an external device. 
     
     
         12 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 11 , wherein the sensing processing circuit includes:
 a multiplexer electrically connected to the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges;   an analog-to-digital converter configured to perform signal conversion on signals from the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges;   a processing control circuit configured to process the converted signals of the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges to obtain the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data, wherein the processing control circuit is further configured to process the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data to generate the intraocular pressure distribution information; and   a signal transmission circuit configured to receive data or transmit the intraocular pressure distribution data through the antenna component.   
     
     
         13 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 11 , wherein the antenna component has a ring shape and is arranged around the central region. 
     
     
         14 . The intraocular pressure sensing element according to  claim 13 , wherein the annular strain gauge, the plurality of regional strain gauges and the antenna component do not overlap with one another in a normal direction of the lens. 
     
     
         15 . An intraocular pressure sensing method, comprising:
 placing an intraocular pressure sensing element on a subject eyeball, wherein the intraocular pressure sensing element includes:
 a lens having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region; 
 an annular strain gauge disposed in the peripheral region and surrounding the central region; 
 a plurality of regional strain gauges arranged at a plurality of predetermined positions in the peripheral region, respectively; and 
 a sensing processing circuit electrically connected to the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges; and 
   configuring the sensing processing circuit to perform the following processes:
 measuring the subject eyeball through the annular strain gauge to obtain first stress data; 
 measuring the subject eyeball through the plurality of regional strain gauges to obtain a plurality of records of second stress data corresponding to the plurality of predetermined positions, respectively; and 
 generating intraocular pressure distribution information according to the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data. 
   
     
     
         16 . The intraocular pressure sensing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the central region is circular, the peripheral region is annular, the plurality of regional strain gauges are arranged in an annular array in the peripheral region, and a quantity of the plurality of regional strain gauges is greater than or equal to 2. 
     
     
         17 . The intraocular pressure sensing method according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of regional strain gauges has a first strain coefficient, the annular strain gauge has a second strain coefficient, and the first strain coefficient is greater than the second strain coefficient; and
 wherein the annular strain gauge includes an annular detection component, and each of the plurality of regional strain gauges includes a regional detection component, the annular detection component is made of an alloy material, and the regional detection component is made of a semiconductor material.   
     
     
         18 . The intraocular pressure sensing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the annular strain gauge is a flexible capacitive pressure sensor, including:
 a lower electrode layer;   a flexible dielectric layer disposed on the lower electrode layer; and   an upper electrode layer disposed on the flexible dielectric layer,   wherein the peripheral region is annular, and the flexible dielectric layer includes a plurality of elastic columns spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction of the peripheral region;   wherein the second transparent conductive layer and the third transparent conductive layer include zinc oxide, the first transparent conductive layer and the fourth transparent conductive layer include indium tin oxide, and the elastic columns each include polydimethylsiloxane polymer (PDMS).   
     
     
         19 . The intraocular pressure sensing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the first stress data includes an absolute pressure value, the plurality of records of the second stress data include a plurality of relative pressure difference values, and the sensing processing circuit is further configured to generate the intraocular pressure distribution information according to the absolute pressure value and the relative pressure difference values. 
     
     
         20 . The intraocular pressure sensing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the intraocular pressure sensing element further includes an antenna component electrically connected to the sensing processing circuit, wherein the antenna component is disposed in the peripheral region for data transmission with an external device,
 wherein the sensing processing circuit includes:
 a multiplexer electrically connected to the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges; 
 an analog-to-digital converter configured to perform signal conversion on signals from the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges; 
 a processing control circuit configured to process the converted signals of the annular strain gauge and the plurality of regional strain gauges to obtain the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data, wherein the processing control circuit is further configured to process the first stress data and the plurality of records of the second stress data to generate the intraocular pressure distribution information; and 
 a signal transmission circuit configured to receive data or transmit the intraocular pressure distribution data through the antenna component.